Electric locomotive



(No Model.)

T. E. ADAMS. ELECTRIC LOGOMOTIVE.

No. 556,654. Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

ARDREW LGIANAM.HIOTB-LI'I'HQWISHINGTDMD C UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

THOMAS E. ADAMS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,654, dated March 1'7, 1896.

Application filed September 5, 1894. Serial No. 522,216. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. ADAMS, a resident of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Locomotives; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric locomotives, and more particularly to the manner of mountin g an electric motor and gearing it with the axle, the object of the invention being to produce simple and efficient means for flexibly suspending an electric motor from a car-truck and to so construct and arrange the parts that the motor will be permitted to have a free vibratory movement and yet maintain the proper relation of the motor and gear carried thereby to the axle and gear carried by said axle.

A further object is to construct a motormounting in such manner that two gear boxes or casings will constitute means for maintaining the proper relation between the motor and axle and the gearing carried thereby.

A further obj ect is to so construct and arrange a motor relatively to the axle that the motor will be flexibly supported from the truck independently of the axle and the proper relation of the gearing between the motor and axle be maintained.

A further object is to render the mounting of an electric motor on a car-truck and its connection with the axle simple, compact and effectual in all respects in the performance of its functions.

A further object is to so construct a railroad-m otor mounting that the armature-shaft shall have a hearing at each end in gear-casings and not in the motor itself, and to provide removable linings in the geancasings for the reception of said armature-shaft.

A further object is to so construct the easing of an electric-railway motor as to provide chambers for the reception of escaping lubricant and exclude dustfrom the same.

A further object is to proportion the weight of the parts of a railway-motor mounting in such manner and so arrange the position of the same that the number of men required to assemble or take apart the motor and its mounting for examination or repair shall be reduced to a minimum.

\Vith these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view partly in section. Figs. 3 and at are end views of a cartruck with my improvements applied thereto. Figs. 5 and (i are detail views.

A represents a car-truck comprising parallel bars a a and cross-bars b I), and 1% represents a car-axle on which the wheels B are located.

Below the truck-frame A an electric motor 0 is disposed the casing c of said motor being made in two parts normally secured together by means of suitable fastening devices 0. The motor is preferably disposed between the axle l3 and the cross-barb of the truck-frame, (below the latter,) and from the motor-casing, centrally between its ends, a lug (Z projects, said lug terminating under and in line with the cross-bar b. A plate or bracket 6 is secured to the cross-bar b by means of bolts 6', which pass through slots in bar Z1 and a plate 6 Footing-plates .u az (most clearly shown in Fig. 5) are perforated for the reception of the ends of a rod f, and the lug (Z is also perforated for the accommodation of this rod. On the rod f, between the lug d and barb, a spring g, Fig. 3, is located, and between said lug and plate at, at the lower end of the rod f, another spring, g, is located. Projecting from the motor-casin g at a point diametrically opposite the 10 g (Z is an arm 71 said arm being adapted to extend over the axle B and terminate in proximity to the cross-bar b of the truckframe. The arm 71 is flattened at its free end for the reception of springs h, secured thereto to form an elastic connection between the motor-arm 7L and the cross-bar b of said truck frame, said cross-bar being made E-shaped in cross-section to receive said arm and springs.

From the construction and arrangement of parts thus far described it will be seen that the motor is supported solely by the truckframe,independently of the axle, and that provision is made for motion of the motor to follow requirements of the axle.

The respective ends of the motor-casing are made with openings 76, one-half of each openin g being made in the respective parts of said casing. Into these openin gs hollow trunnions Z on the gear-casings project, said trunnions being preferably, though not necessarily, made integral with the gear casings E E. Each gear-casin g or hood is made in two parts, normally secured together by means of suit able fastening devices. One end of each geareasi u g is pivotally connected with the motorcasing by the trunnions Z and the other end is journaled on the axle B.

The armature-shaft m of the motor projects at both ends through the hollow trunnions Z and has bearings in removable linings Z therein, the extremities of said shaft also having bearings in removable linings Z located in hollow bosses Z formed on the boxes or casings E.

Within each gear casing or box E a pinion F is secured to the armature-shaft m and adapted to mesh with gear-Wheels F keyed to the axle, said gearing being adapted toretain the gear-casin gs in proper position. The pinion F on one end of the shaft m is preferably arranged so as to engage the teeth of the corresponding gear-wheel F slightly in advance of the engagement of the pinion at the other end of the armature-shaft, with the corresponding gear-wheel to secure the smoothest running of the gears. End-thrust which might come upon the motor will be taken up by means of arms j, which project from the respective ends of the motor-casing and bear against the gear-casing, which latter is kept in position by the inclosed gears, which are keyed and doweled to the axle.

From the construction and arrangement of parts above described it will be seen that the gear-casings constitute links or means whereby the armature-shaft is always maintained the same distance from the axle, regardless of the vibrations of the parts, and the pinions on the motor-shaft are at all times maintained in proper relation to the gear-wheels on the axle. armature-shaft has bearings at both ends in the gear-casings, and that these bearings are provided at both sides of each pinion F. By connecting the motor and gear-casings in the mannerabove described the hammer-blow on the track will be diminished and great freedom of these parts will be obtained.

The lower half of the motor-casing can be swung down and afterward the armatureshaft also, and then by separating the parts of the gear-casings the armature can be removed.

The lower part of the motor-case is made with double Walls to produce chambers n, which constitute receptacles for lubricant which may escape from the armature-bearings. Openings 0 are provided whereby It will also be seen that they the accumulated lubricant can be removed when desired.

The lower halves of the respective gear casings or boxes may be connected together by a convex plate 1) for the accommodation of the car-axle and a brace 19, said plate and brace being made integral with each other and with the lower halves of the gear casings or boxes. The lower halves of the gear-casin gs may thus be cast together in a single piece, as shownin Fig. 6, and the upper halves made separate, or vice versa. By gearing both ends of the armature-shaft with both ends of the axle and arranging the motor-mounting and connections with the axle in the manner above described the proper relation of the motor-gearing to the gearing on the axle is always maintained and the smooth and easy running of the parts insured.

By causing the bearings of the gear-casin gs to carry the weight of the motors great durability of axles and journals is had. Equal freedom of motor from cramping strains and equal freedom from the dead-weight hammer-blow on the track is obtained by the manner of supporting the parts as above described.

The car-axles thrown askew by curves or obstructions come quickly to their correct positions as the motors seek their center of gravity, which is approximately in line with their center of support.

My improvements are simple in construction and effectual in all respects in the performanceof their functions.

Slight changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a truck-frame and an axle, of a motor geared with the axle at both ends and devices so suspending the motor from the truck-frame that the weight of the motor and parts carried thereby will be equally distributed at opposite sides of the suspending devices, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a truck-frame having cross-bars, and an axle, of a motor geared at both ends with the axle, and flexible connections between both sides of the motor and the cross-bars of the truck-frame, said flexible connections being disposed in line with each other and centrally between the ends of the motor, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a truck-frame and an axle, of a motor geared at both ends with the axle, flexible connections between the motor and truck-frame, centrally between the ends of the motor, at both sides thereof, and gear-casings connecting said motor and axle. substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a car-truck haw ing cross-bars and an axle, of a motor located between said axle and one of the cross-bars of the truck-frame and geared with said axle, means for suspending said motor-casing from the adjacent cross-bar of the truck-frame and an arm projecting from the motor-casin g, said arm extending over the axle and having a flexible connection with the opposite crossbar of the truck-frame, so that the weight of the parts on one end of the motor will practically balance the weight of the parts on the other end thereof, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a car truck and axle, of a motor geared with the axle and sup ported by the truck-frame independently of the axle, gear-casings and arms projecting from the motor-casing and bearing against the gear-casings, whereby to take up endthrust, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a car truck and axle, of a motor geared with the axle and elastically supported by the truck-frame independently of the axle, and gear-casings adapted to constitute means for maintaining the alignment of the motor-shaft with the axle and the proper relation of the gearing carried by the motor-shaft with the gearing carried by the axle, substantially as set forth.

'7. The combination with a truck frame and axle, of a motor flexibly supported from the truck-frame and geared with the axle at two points, the case of said motor having openings in its ends, gear-casings inclosing the gearing between the motor and axle, and hollow trunnions projecting from said gear-casings and entering the openings in the motorcase, said hollow trunnions carrying bearings for the shaft of the motor, and the gear-casin gs being journaled on the axle, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a car truck and axle, of a motor flexibly-supported from the truck, the casing of said motor being made in two parts, double gearing between the motor and axle, separable casings inclosing said gearing and having one end journaled on the axle, and hollow trunnions projecting from the side of said gear-casings near their opposite ends and entering openings in the motorcasing, said hollow trunnions also carrying bearings for the shaft of the motor, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with a car truck and axle, of a motor flexibly supported from the car-truck independently of the axle, pinions near both ends of the shaft of said motor, gear-wheels on the axle to mesh with said pinions, arms projecting from the ends of said motor-casings over the axle, and gear-casings against which said arms are adapted to bear, substantially as set forth.

10. In an electric locomotive, the combination with an axle, a motor and gearing between the motor and axle at two points, of gear-casings journaled at one end on the axle and at the other end in the casing of the motor, one half of one gear-casing being connected with the corresponding half of the other geancasing, substantially as set forth.

1 1. In an electric locomotive, the combination with an axle, a motor and gearing between the motor and axle, of gear-casings inclosing said gearing, one half of one gear-casing being cast in a single piece with the corresponding half of the other gear-casing, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS E. ADAMS.

lVitnesses A. D. DORMAN, S. T. Donn. 

